What a waste: Pictures from Gurugram city
Jigyasa Gambhir
Research Associate
Global waste production is projected to reach approximately 27 billion tonnes annually by 2050, one-third of which comes from Asia, with significant contributions from China and India. The waste sector in India contributes about 3.5 percent of India's total GHG emissions (Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, 2015). The main sources of GHG emissions in India’s waste sector include municipal solid waste, hazardous waste, wastewater, radioactive waste, and others. Methane (CH4) is a potent GHG, which is produced and released into the atmosphere as a by-product of the anaerobic decomposition of solid waste and when domestic and industrial wastewater are treated or disposed of anaerobically. A smaller amount of nitrous oxide (N2O) emission occurs from the disposal of domestic wastewater into waterways due to the protein content present in domestic wastewater. Waste generation rates depend on factors such as population density, economic conditions, and levels of commercial activity, culture, and cities/regions.
Millennium City Gurugram is the second-largest technology centre in India and has the country's highest carbon footprint (RIHN, 2021). It is anticipated that in 2041, Gurugram will generate approximately 2900 MT of solid waste per day. The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) is the apex body responsible for solid waste planning and management in the city. More than 90% of solid waste in Gurugram is being disposed of at landfills, which is the cheapest way of disposal. As per the latest statistics, Gurugram generates over 1,350 tonnes of solid waste per day (TPD). Of this, 600–700 TPD is sent to the Bhandwari landfill, which is on the Gurugram–Faridabad Road and was built as a landfill and waste treatment facility under the JNNURM scheme in 2010–2011. According to the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI), Gurugram generates over 700 TPD of construction and demolition waste and 1.5 TPD of biomedical waste; the city also generates 70,000 tonnes of e-waste annually. MCG estimates show that per capita waste generation in Gurugram is about 320 gm/day, which includes residential, commercial, and institutional waste. Eco-green Energy is a well-established and acclaimed private waste management and waste-to-energy company in Gurugram. It not only collects and transports municipal solid waste (MSW) but also processes it into adequate quality organic compost and RDF. The organic compost produced by biomining is utilized in parks, gardens, dividers, green-belts, etc., and the refuse-derived fuel (RDF) is sent to cement industries and WTE Plants.
Uncontrolled burning of waste at dumpsites releases fine particles, a significant cause of respiratory disease and causes smog. There is a need to develop facilities to treat and dispose of increasing amounts of MSW. Properly engineered waste disposal protects public health and preserves key environmental resources such as groundwater, surface water, soil fertility, and air quality. There are a wide range of technologies that can mitigate GHG emissions from waste and provide public health, environmental protection, and sustainable development co-benefits. Emission mitigation options for the waste sector include diversion of organic waste from landfills towards treatment options, diversion of wastewater from domestic and commercial sectors towards sewers, and further capturing and utilizing methane from landfills and effluent treatment units, which can lower the emissions by 2031. There is an urgent need to apply appropriate policy, political will, financial resources, capacity building, and indigenous technology to reduce the impact of our activities on global warming.
